What happens next
A decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for Thanet Extension Offshore Wind Farm was taken on 01 June 2020 and has now been issued.
The period for legal challenge is defined in s118 of the Planning Act 2008. Further information about legal challenge can be found in the letter sent to all Interested Parties accompanying the Secretary of State’s decision and statement of reasons.
If you have any queries about the process please email the Planning Inspectorate at [email protected] or telephone the helpline on 0303 444 5000.
Timeline (46 items)

The Secretary of State has refused development consent for this application. For further information please refer to the following decision documentation:
Planning Inspectorate Notification of Decision Letter
Secretary of State Decision Letter
Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report

The Secretary of State’s decision on this application will be made available as soon as possible.


IMPORTANT: As a result of ongoing Government guidance relating to COVID-19 the Planning Inspectorate is seeking to ensure that all Parties are notified of key developments on projects, in a timely manner. In order to help achieve this, and to minimise any delays which could arise if the postal service is affected, it would be extremely helpful if registered Parties that have not already done so could supply us with a contact e-mail address as soon as possible (details in the contact information heading of the project page).
Please be assured that this information will be managed in line with our Privacy Notice.

A Written Ministerial Statement has been made announcing that the decision by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has been delayed until 1 June 2020.
Comments from Interested Parties on the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Request for Comments have been published.

The Secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has requested comments from Vattenfall Wind Power Limited, Interested Parties and Other Parties on the Thanet Extension Offshore Wind Farm. The Secretary of State will be setting a new deadline for a decision. A statement confirming the new deadline for a decision will be made to the House of Commons and House of Lords in accordance with section 107(7) of the Planning Act 2008 as soon as possible.

The Secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has requested information and comments from Vattenfall Wind Power Limited, Interested Parties and Other Parties on the Thanet Extension Offshore Wind Farm. The Secretary of State will be setting a new deadline for a decision. A statement confirming the new deadline for a decision will be made to the House of Commons and House of Lords in accordance with section 107(7) of the Planning Act 2008 as soon as possible once Parliament is in session.


The Examination closed at 23.59 on 11 June 2019.
Notification of completion of the Examination has been issued and the Examination Library has been updated.


The Deadline 7 submissions have now been published.
Interested Parties are reminded that Deadline 8 on 10 June 2019 is the final deadline in the Examination and will close at 5pm.

The Examining Authority has issued questions under Rule 17. The general deadline for responses is Deadline 6A Monday 3 June 2019 (although some questions provide a longer response time to Deadline 7).
Comments on responses may be made by Deadline 7: Thursday 6 June 2019.
The Applicant may make a final reply to any comments at Deadline 8: Monday 10 June 2019 at 5pm.
The Deadline 6 and Deadline 6A submissions have now been published.


The Examining Authority has published its commentary on the draft Development Consent Order (dDCO) and seeks input from Interested Parties by Deadline 6 and comments on input by Deadline 7.

The Applicant is consulting on a material change to the Thanet Extension Offshore Wind Farm application. For further details please view the letter.

The Audio recordings and Action Points for: Issue Specific Hearings 8-9 and Compulsorily Acquisition Hearing 2 are now published and available below.
Recording of hearings
ISH8 Action Points 1/2
ISH8 Action Points 2/2
ISH9 Action Points
CAH2 Action Points

Action Lists from the Issue Specific Hearing (ISH8) held on 16 and 17 April have been published.

Republished Further Written Questions, with the amended numbering of questions, issued by the Examining Authority.

The Examining Authority has issued a Rule 8(3) Variation to the Examination Timetable, a Rule 9 Notification of Procedural Decision and s51 Advice Letter to guide the Applicant and Interested Parties responding to the Applicant’s request for a Material Change to the Application to provide for a Structures Exclusion Zone (SEZ) in the wind turbine array area offshore. The Agendas for Issue Specific Hearings 8 & 9 and Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 2 commencing on 16 April have been published.

The Examining Authority has issued a Rule 8(3) Variation to the Examination Timetable and a Rule 9 Notification of Procedural Decision Letter to guide the Applicant and Interested Parties preparing for April hearings. The itinerary for Accompanied Site Inspection 2 to the London Ports on 15 April has been published. Agendas for hearings commencing on 16 April will be published after the Examining Authority’s consideration of documents submitted for new Deadline 4B.

The Examination Library which was published following Deadline 3 has been amended. Examination Library references for deadline 3 have been updated.

The Examining Authority have issued a Rule 9 – notification of procedural decision letter.

The Examining Authority has issued notification of the date, times of and places for Accompanied Site Inspection 2 (ASI2) to be held on 15 April 2019.

The Examining Authority have issued a Rule 8(3) Variation to the Examination Timetable. This letter also contains Notification of Issue Specific and Compulsory Acquisition Hearings scheduled for April 2019.

The Audio recordings and Action Points for: Issue Specific Hearings 3 – 7, Compulsorily Acquisition Hearing 1 and Open Floor Hearing 1 are now published and available below.
Recordings and Action Points of ISH3
Recordings and Action Points of ISH4
Recordings and Action Points of ISH5
Recordings and Action Points of ISH6
Recordings and Action Points of ISH7
Recordings and Action Points of CAH1
Recordings and Action Points of OFH1

Agendas for the hearings to be held in February 2019 have been published. The Accompanied Site Inspection Itinerary has also been published.

The Examination Timetable (Rule 8 letter) has been sent to Interested Parties
Procedural decision following Preliminary Meeting

- Preliminary Meeting takes place
- Examination begins

The notification of Preliminary Meeting (Rule 6 letter) has been sent Read the letter
The letter also includes the draft Examination Timetable and Initial Assessment of Principal Issues.





This application was received by the Planning Inspectorate on 27 June 2018.
The application documents will be made available if the application is accepted for examination.
It is for the applicant to decide whether or not application documents can be published upon submission (see MHCLG pre-application guidance).
